After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

"Oh? I'll do anything you ask?" Rong Yingluo revealed a fox-like smile.

"As long as you're willing to cure my mother of the poison, I'll listen to you from now on, and I'll never say you're a merchant's daughter again, nor will I speak ill of you outside." Gu Qingya was truly afraid.

She was nothing more than a delicate flower kept in a greenhouse, relying on being the only legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to act arrogantly and domineeringly.

Princess Xiangyi's ruthlessness had brought her to her senses considerably, and witnessing Rong Yingluo's abilities today made her even more aware of her own insignificance. Outside the Duke's mansion, she was nothing.

Rong Yingluo scoffed.

How incredibly naive! If she hadn't been born into a privileged family, with her foolish mind, she could have been killed at any moment.

"If you really listen to me, I can help you marry into the Xuan Prince's Mansion." Rong Yingluo threw out Gu Qingya's favorite bait.

"Really?" Gu Qingya's eyes suddenly lit up.

"The condition is that you must obey. If you don't, then don't blame me. You can't be so stupid as to not guess that the Emperor doesn't want you to marry into the Xuan Prince's household, can you?"

The Emperor did not arrange the marriage on the spot, but Rong Yingluo had already guessed his intention.

As for whether the Xuanwang couple want to get married, that's hard to say.

Having the Duke of Zhenguo in the Duke's Mansion makes a world of difference compared to having only the Duchess of Zhenguo supporting the mansion.

"I'll be obedient, I'll definitely be obedient." Gu Qingya nodded vigorously.

"In that case, you should focus on recovering from your injuries and wait for your sister-in-law to help you arrange this marriage," Rong Yingluo assured her.

Gu Qingya was relieved; she had been hit with twenty lashes, which had been excruciatingly painful.

But being able to marry the Crown Prince of Xuan makes it all worthwhile, no matter how much he dotes on her.

The mother and daughter, one lying on the bed and the other on the tatami mat, looked quite comical.

"Mother, do you want to get rid of the poison?" Rong Yingluo looked at Madam Su with a smile.

"What are the conditions?" Madam Su knew that Rong Yingluo would not let her off easily.

"It's very simple. Hand over the management of the Gu family. From now on, I will be the head mistress of the Gu family, and you cannot interfere. If any servant in the household disobeys orders, I will assume that you are the one instigating it," Rong Yingluo stated her conditions.

There's no need to keep the Su family hanging any longer.

The Duke will be back soon; it's time to reclaim the stewardship.

This was one of the conditions Gu Ce proposed on their wedding night.

Once this is completed, only the detoxification task remains.

"As long as the Xuan Prince's Mansion sends the marriage certificate, I will hand over the management of the household to you. But you must cure my poison." Madam Su made this decision so that her daughter could marry into the Xuan Prince's Mansion.

Actually, not having hair is just unattractive, but it doesn't affect her lifespan.

But my daughter's marriage is the most important thing.

"You're really pushing your luck, but since we're all family, I'll agree." Rong Yingluo was very generous.

Even if she cures the poison from Ban Tu, she can still use other poisons.

To her, controlling the Su family was a piece of cake.

She hadn't forgotten how many times the Su family had tried to kill her.

Back at Silver Willow Courtyard, Gu Ce didn't go to the front yard, but instead pulled Rong Yingluo down to sit.

"You knew perfectly well that the Emperor didn't want the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Prince of Xuan's mansion to be linked by marriage, so why did you agree to help Qingya marry into the Prince of Xuan's mansion?" Gu Ce couldn't ask in front of Madam Su earlier, but now that there were no outsiders, he couldn't hold back anymore.

"It's simple, plant someone in Prince Xuan's mansion." Rong Yingluo stated her purpose straightforwardly.

"Given Qingya's personality, would she really act as a spy for you?" Gu Ce thought Rong Yingluo's idea was a bit naive.

"Of course it's not her, I have someone else." Rong Yingluo smiled mysteriously.

"Oh? Tell me about it." Gu Ce raised an eyebrow.

"Zhenwei Escort Agency, the Prince of Beijun is the first owner, and I am the second owner."

Those men weren't raised for nothing. Once, a few remaining soldiers saw Yuwentai go into a small alley and enter a courtyard.

This matter caught the attention of the Prince of Beijun, who then investigated it.

It turns out that Yuwen Tai actually had a lover, but unfortunately her status was too low; she wasn't even qualified to be a concubine.

It just so happened that the girl's mother was very ill and was on the verge of death.

Yuwen Tai couldn't very well personally request a royal physician for a commoner, but I could help this girl heal her mother.

I plan to bring that girl to the Gu residence to be Qingya's dowry maid.

"As long as this succeeds, Yuwen Tai will definitely be clamoring to marry our eldest sister." The scheming in Rong Yingluo's eyes made Gu Ce feel even more that his wife was too clever.

She can even make use of such information.

Gu Ce rarely showed a gentle smile: "If you arrange for that girl to enter the Xuan Prince's mansion, how will Qingya win Yuwen Tai's heart?"

"That's exactly the effect I want. This way, she'll harbor resentment and naturally work for me. And that girl will be the knife in my sister's hand. I'll have my sister hold that girl's lifeline and make her obedient." Rong Yingluo revealed her plan.

"That girl is innocent in the eyes of you." Gu Ce said this deliberately, wanting to see if his wife would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

"Once Xuan Wang's ambitions are exposed, I will give that girl a way out. Do you think I'm the kind of person who can't distinguish right from wrong?" Rong Yingluo glared at Gu Ce. "However, that girl may not be as good as we think. I'll have Ling Feng and Ling Yun investigate her thoroughly. Maybe we'll find something unexpected."

How did a prince from the Xuan family and a commoner woman from the lowest social class end up together? There must be more to this story.

Gu Ce already knew about his wife's plan, so he went to the front yard to handle official business.

The next day, Granny Qin came to visit again. After meeting the old lady, she was led directly to the Silver Willow Courtyard.

Rong Yingluo found it a little strange to see Qin Mama smiling so kindly.

"Granny Qin, thank you for yesterday." Rong Yingluo said meaningfully.

The two shared a secret and smiled at each other.

"Our lady is very fond of Madam Gu."

Thanks to your treatment, Her Majesty the Empress is much better and wants to go out of the palace for a stroll.

The Empress wishes to visit Huguo Temple for a few days to pray for blessings and would like to invite Madam Gu to accompany her.

"Her Majesty the Empress hasn't left the palace to pray for blessings for many years. It's rare for her to want to relax, so please don't refuse, Madam Gu. This is a gold invitation personally written by Her Majesty." Granny Qin respectfully handed over the invitation.

Rong Yingluo took it, opened it, and read: "Ten days later?"

She thought she was going tomorrow.

"The Empress's departure from the palace is no small matter, so preparations must be made." Qin Mama noticed Rong Yingluo's doubts.

"No problem. It's perfect timing to give Her Majesty the Empress her third acupuncture treatment." Rong Yingluo readily agreed.

After delivering the letter, Granny Qin returned to the palace to report back.

A few days later, Ling Feng and his companion had found out about the girl Yuwen Tai liked and made arrangements accordingly.

Just as Rong Yingluo had guessed, that girl was also cunning.

In order to climb the social ladder, she was adept at seizing opportunities and knew how to act as the kind of woman men liked most—gentle, considerate, and like a confidante.

She doesn't make unreasonable demands, yet she uses language that men don't find offensive to get them to do what she wants. She truly has men completely under her thumb.

Rong Yingluo took Yinghong out of the Gu residence and instructed Wu Guishan to go to the address given by Yuwen Zhang.

She dressed simply today and didn't wear any fancy jewelry.

When they entered a small alley, the carriage could just pass through.

Judging from the condition of the houses, the people living here are not too poor; at least the houses belong to them.

Just as the carriage passed by a house, a commotion broke out inside.